14th November 2025
Look out for the full nominations on Discovery’s website on Tuesday. Well done to all our nominees, you’re all winners in our book!
Keinan Cooper – Winner, The Care Innovator Award
A trusted assessor programme, co-produced with Somerset Council and My Life My Futures, sought to build on the strengths we have as individual Organisation by working better together, in the design and delivery of high quality, person-centred Adult Social Care services that promote independence and wellbeing. To contribute to tackling pressures on social work we set an approach, under the direction and guidance of the Authority’s social work team, to create a Trusted Assessor (TA) role.
Having commenced his career as a support worker, before moving to become an Assistant Locality Manager, Keinan has readily embraced countless opportunities for personal growth and development, achieving and establishing himself as a credible frontline leader and CQC Registered Manager before he reached his mid-20’s. Keinan moved in to the position as Trusted Assessor as an initial secondment opportunity and has worked in partnership with key stakeholders to shape and develop the role into the highly regarded and commended position it is today, nearly 2 years after the concept became a reality.
Keinan also stars in our video, below:
Nicola Chlopecki – Highly Commended, The Dignity in Care Award
Nicola embodies curiosity and is always asking the ‘why’ behind everything! Just one example, which captivates the essence of Nicola… Nicola could see that there was potential for a lady she supports (known as Heather) to be living a better life. Nicola set about working with Heather and her family to establish her dreams & ambitions. Heather does not communicate with words, but Nicola was creative in finding ways to ensure she was always at the centre of these conversations. Nicola has taken positive risks throughout her work and has ensured that every setback is turned into a learning opportunity, also engaging the wider community and resources to find creative solutions and implement adjustments to increase the chance of things going well.
Heather’s life has been completely transformed due to Nicola’s support and she now has a communication system in place, which ensures that she has maximum choice and control over her life. Not only has Heather achieved greater independence and developed new skills allowing her to do more things for herself such as shopping for food and clothes, she has forged better connections with her family and started to develop friendships. For the first time this year, Heather had people to send Christmas cards to (and received many in return!), but more than this, she has achieved a real sense of belonging within her local community.
In all of this, Heather’s physical and mental well-being has dramatically improved. She has lost weight and reversed symptoms of pre-diabetes and a fatty liver. Her mental health has improved so much that behaviours of distress are now non-existent, which has supported her to reduce significant levels of medication. With Nicola’s support, Heather has not only been able to achieve her dreams, but is beginning to create new ones.
Coach House Team – Winners, The Home Care Team Award
[text drawn from our internal Inspiring People Awards]
I would like to nominate Stacey Reeves and the team at ‘Coach House’ for an inspiring people’s nomination. In a recent Better Practice Group meeting Stacey shared a good news story about a lady she supports. The story focused on how this lady had been supported to enhance her life dramatically through the reduction of STOMP medication and a person-centred approach.
Stacey’s story touched on many of our values. It highlighted great partnership working between the person we support and health professionals, shaping the right medication support. It showed great respect for what the lady we supported actually wanted to do and how she wanted to spend her life. It showed great ambition for wanting the best for the lady we support and great courage to try new things and take positive risks. When barriers arose, such as difficulties with getting the local authority to engage regarding increased funding to support more independence, Stacey and her team were not deterred by this and worked on and found creative solutions to these barriers. The outcome was breathtaking to see as Stacey showed photos and told stories of how this person’s life is now. Having known this lady 10 years ago, so see her journey was truly inspiring and I think Stacey and her team deserve real recognition for this wonderful achievement.
Jodie Williams – nominee, The Outstanding Contribution to Social Care
A member of her team supports this nomination by boldly stating; ‘Jodie is the best Operations Director anyone could ever ask for. She is an incredibly kind yet motivating team leader who demonstrates all the very best qualities of our Organisation. A true people person, she cares deeply about the people we support and our team of colleagues, and treats everyone with respect and approaches every situation with honesty and integrity. She has been courageous through some difficult times with developing into a brand new area, where she has shown her ambition for expansion and for helping more people and continuously making lives better for the people we support.’
A qualified nurse by background and in addition to her primary responsibilities as Operations Director for the area of Yeovil and South Somerset, Jodie takes an active lead in the development and mobilisation of new services. Jodie is described by Discovery’s Business Development Manager as a colleague who cares deeply about the people we support and is never afraid to challenge when she feels we are not achieving the very best outcomes we can for individuals. Part of the reason she is so keen to grow the business is so we can support more people and make a real difference to people’s lives’.
She is also described as an exceptional people manager, striking the right balance between empowering and trusting managers to work on their own initiative and providing them with support, guidance and empathy so they can do their jobs to the highest standard.
Supported Employment Team – nominee, The three R’s Award
At Discovery, we believe that employment is not just a job—it’s a pathway to independence, confidence, and a fulfilling life. Our supported employment services across Somerset, Bath and North East Somerset (BANES), and Dorset are designed to help people who are autistic, individuals with learning disabilities and those who identify as neurodiverse to secure and maintain meaningful, paid employment.
We are committed to raising the ambitions of the people we support and helping them achieve their employment aspirations. By offering a variety of employment opportunities, we ensure that each individual’s unique needs and goals are met. Our person-centred approach focuses on understanding the strengths and aspirations of each person, enabling us to match them with suitable roles and provide the necessary support to thrive in the workplace.
Our team comprises both neurotypical and neurodiverse individuals, a blend that we believe enhances our service and offers the best support for people seeking employment. This diversity brings a wealth of perspectives and problem-solving approaches, enriching our ability to cater to the varied needs of those we support.
Karen Mercer – nominee, The Workforce Development Award
Karen’s Manager, Sharon believes that; ‘Karen demonstrates all of the values Discovery holds in abundance. When Karen is supporting a person, she has complete focus on them and listens intently to everything they say and do to express themselves, this alongside her drive, passion and creativity means that she has done so much to improve the lives of those people, in terms of supporting them to find groups that they will enjoy, where people can build new friendships or just those adhoc things, on a very rainy day having the idea for someone to pop next door to an older peoples residential home to meet her neighbours and join them in listening to old songs, something the person really enjoyed.
Karen has become part of the Communication Partner Team at Cedar Park Court and developed an amazing presentation for the team, she made it so specific to the people we support. Karen is fabulous in this role and is striding forward with new ideas. She is currently developing a social story with a person and just last week came up with the idea of ‘I can’ videos, giving people the opportunity to explain and reflect on their gifts to share with the team. I constantly find myself excited about the next idea she will have.